90-10 The mutual calibration of plate reconstruction and realistic geodynamic models

Abstract:

Plate reconstruction describes past plate motion at Earth surface while geodynamic models describe the underlying deep Earth processes over time. Due to the complex nature of Earth dynamic evolution, traditional models with simplified boundary conditions cannot adequately capture the realistic evolutionary behaviors of Earth. Therefore, models assimilating realistic plate kinematics at the surface are necessary to better reproduce geological records and geophysically imaged present mantle structures. Research indicates that this approach is most suitable for studying Earth's evolutionary history since the Cenozoic. Further back in time, however, because plate reconstructions mainly infer from surface observations, their capability to characterize vanished plates—particularly subduction systems predating the Cenozoic—remains limited, which may lead to erroneous simulation results and tectonic interpretations. For instance, reconstructions of subduction during the Mesozoic and earlier all carry certain degrees of uncertainty. Recent efforts to overcome these problems range from inferring early subduction history by unwrapping subducted slabs from deep mantle imaging to rectifying reconstruction models through more quantitative geodynamic modeling using data assimilation. I will show some examples of the latter approach. This strategy can simultaneously advance pre-Cenozoic plate reconstructions and our understanding of the associated deep processes and tectonic history, and it should become a trend in future geodynamic research.

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